The Neuroscientist Who Lost Her Mind

Barbara Lipska was born in Poland. She studied in Warsaw where she got her Ph.D. in medical sciences in 1988. The next year she emigrated to the United States and got a job at NIMH (National Institute of Mental Health) in Maryland. She specifically studied schizophrenia and did post mortem human brain research. In 2015 while preparing for a ski trip she noticed her couldn't see her left hand. She knew something was wrong with her brain and since she recovered from melanoma cancer, she feared the cancer has spread to her brain. Her fears were correct and she ended up with multiple tumors in her brain. She was treated with surgery, radiation, immunotherapy and medications. During her treatment her brain swelled and her behavior drastically changed. Usually kind and courteous she became angry and paranoid and angry. Always a great cook, she couldn't find her kitchen utensils and accused her family of moving things around. She was not aware of the personality changes. The Neuroscientist Who Lost Her Mind is her memoir of all that she has gone through. I thought her story was very interesting. She showed strength and courage and was lucky enough to know the very best doctors and was able to afford the very best treatment.

Britt Marie Was Here

Frederik Backman wrote A Man Called Ove and My Grandmother Asked Me To Tell You She's Sorry. In the second book was a character named Britt Marie. Britt-Marie Was Here goes on to tell her full story. This author has a special talent in developing characters that are off putting and curmudgeonly at first glance but loveable and considerate once you get to know them.    Britt-Marie is rude and outspoken. She is clearly lacking in social skills. At age 63, she decides to leave her philandering husband and move to Borg, a small town in Sweden, By badgering a woman at the unemployment office she gets a job taking care of the community recreation center. Much to her surprise, the people in the town appreciate her direct style of communication and she becomes popular. I was sad to come to the end of this charming novel.

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay

 Michael Chabon won a Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 2001 for his novel The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay. This story is about two cousins. Joe Kavalier meets Sam Clay when he emigrates from Prague at the age of 19. Sam is 17, born and raised in Brooklyn, and interested in writing comic books. Joe is an artist and has never seen a comic book before. Joe was also trained in magic, lock picking, and as an escape artist. They come up with an idea for a new super hero, one who can rival Superman, called The Escapist. The Escapist fights fascists. Since this is before World War Two, fighting fascists does not agree with everyone but Joe is adamant that The Escapist fights fascists. The characters of Kavalier and Clay are based on some actual cartoon artists in New York City at the time. I enjoyed the story about the two cousins making a living together collaborating on comic books in New York City.

The Scent Keepers

 Erica Bauermeister wrote The Scent Keepers. The central figure in this novel is Emmaline who grew up isolated on an island in the Pacific near the state of Washington. She lives with her father on the island. Although she sees people in boats going by she never interacts with anyone but her father. Her father says it is safer this way because people can't be trusted. The island where they live is accessible by boat only once a month when the moon is full. In the winter, the island is not accessible at all. Her father tells her new supplies are brought by mermaids and she believes him for a long time. Her father is very interested in scents. He has a machine that records the scent of a moment much like a Polaroid camera captures a moment. He puts the scent paper into a glass bottle and seals it with wax. He teaches Emmaline to focus on her sense of smell and to improve her smelling abilities. Emmaline's father teaches her to smell, to read, to forage mussels and mushrooms and berries but he really doesn't prepare her for life. As she grows, so does her curiosity. I enjoyed this coming of age novel about Emmaline and her search for the answers she never got from her father.

Stay And Fight

 Stay And Fight is a novel set in Appalachian Ohio. Written by Madeline Ffitch, this book is about three women who decide to band together and make a life together. They build a house. They forage for food. When food is scarce they enjoy acorn pancakes with pemmican. The three women have a problem with black rat snakes invading their house living in their pantry, under the sink, and in the silverware drawer. This novel is about family but also about nature. The characters in the story are raw and cantankerous and flawed. I thought it was an interesting tale about how 3 women split a house, meals, and work.

Organic Farm Tour

I went on a tour with a group of Master Naturalists to an organic farm near Cannon Falls. Here is a look at the tomato plants inside a greenhouse. This farm specializes in peppers and tomatoes. The young family had a girl about 4 years old who seemed fascinated by our group. She physically hung on her parents and walked with us during our 90 minute visit. She would plop down  in the dirt and break up clods of dirt or entertain herself in some way. She was darling and I thought she was lucky to live here on this farm.

In the strip of woods between fields, these ten goats have cleared up most of the buckthorn so at least it is now possible to get through. Of course the girl had to join the goats. She pulled down branches so the goats could much on the leaves. One of the farm owners is an etymologist and botanist. She thinks it is important to attract insects especially predatory wasps. She plants strips of native plants specifically to draw in the insects that will indirectly help the pollinators with her crops. In these strips of lands she has plants that are not pretty and are not edible yet they are valuable because of the insects they attract. These farmers look at their land through a different and unique lens.

This is a view of the valley their farm overlooks.

 

Mussels

This weekend I am at a conference at Treasure Island Casino.

This morning we took a bus to a mussel propagation lab in Lake City. Years ago people overharvested mussels to make buttons. 

 

An example of a mussel shell used for buttons.

Most mussels use specific fish to propagate. The eject their larva into the fish's face so the larva can attach to the gills. Here are some baby mussels in a tank. The mussels spend two years here in the lab before they are returned to the wild.

Mussels from this lab are put into the Mississippi River, the Saint Croix River, and the Cedar River near Austin, MN.

 

The Book Of Dreams

 One of my favorite authors, Nina George, wrote The Book of Dreams. This is a story about Henri, born in France and now living in London. He is on his way to see his son at school when he steps off a curb and is struck by a car causing multiple broken bones and a head injury. He lies in a hospital. For two weeks he is in a medically induced coma. After that he is still in a coma. His son comes to visit him. An ex-lover comes to visit him. They talk to him and although he cannot respond, their words enter into his dreams. He lives in between life and death. I really enjoyed this tender story.

The Enlightenment Project

 I did not like The Enlightenment Project by Lynn Hightower. I am not a fan of demonic possessions nor exorcisms. Why, you may ask, did I finish the book? Because the book started out as a story about a neurosurgeon, Noah, his lovely wife Moira, his two boys and his white lab who is a very good dog. And the writing was good. Soon I was pulled into the story. Noah was doing a study using MRI's and spiritual encouragement as a treatment for depression, addiction and mental illness. I like to read about medical treatments and the brain. By the end though it was all about the demons and the exorcism. This is just not the type of book I like to read.

Violeta

I have read a handful of books by Isabel Allende and so far I have loved every one of them including the latest, Violeta. Allende is a Chilean/American author who currently lives in California. This story is about Violeta. She is writing a letter to her grandson about her life. She lived to be 100 so she had a lot to cover. She was born in 1920, the fifth child and only daughter in the family. Her life is book ended by pandemics. She talks about the great depression, world war two, the Cuban revolution, and dictatorship in Chile. Violeta has learned how to fend for herself. She knows how to make money and how to save money. This is an epic story, feminist historical fiction, and a great read.

More Flooding

Today I went to monitor my streams. I noticed two orange cones on the road to my second stream indicating the road was closed. When I parked my car and walked to the stream I saw the reason for the road closure. My stream flooded the road more than usual and created a wash out.

All the grass and tansy plants are plastered flat toward downstream. A lot of gravel was washed off the road. There is no way my car could make it through this washout.

This is where the road usually floods the road. See all that gravel on the left? That gravel was put there by the river.

This is the Cloquet River. I talked to a guy today on the bridge who grew up in the house next to the bridge. The river has encroached the field behind the house. This was an older man who has been retired since 1990 and is "older than dirt." He said he can remember only one other time in his life when the water got this high. This photo is from a boat landing. This is the approach to the boat landing. When I was here last summer the river stayed way behind those two signs you see standing in river water.

 

The Joy and Light Bus Company

The Joy And Light Bus Company is the 22nd in a series about the Ladies *1 Detective Agency series. I was attracted to it by the colorful cover. I haven't read all in the series but I do enjoy the stories set in Botswana. In this tale the detective's husband, owner of the Speedy Motor Repair Company, wants to mortgage his building to start a bus company. Also, the detective agency investigates a man's father because the father wants to leave his house to his nurse instead of his children. The detectives also hear about a pair of sibling teenagers who are being forced into slavery at the home of a wealthy business man. I enjoyed the story, listening to the gossip, and imagining myself enjoying cups of tea with the detectives. 

The Secret Keeper of Jaipur

 Years ago I read The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi and I really liked it. So I was happy to see a sequel to the story about Lackshmi called The Secret Keeper of Jaipur (The Henna Artist #2). In this story Lackshmi has moved north to Shimla, India which is in the foothills of the Himalaya mountains. She no longer is a henna artist. Now she is married to a doctor and she helps at the clinic. Besides helping with the patients she grows medicinal herbs and plants in the clinic healing garden. She makes salves and tinctures because the nomadic hill people prefer her remedies to modern medicine. Lackshmi kept her young ward, Malik, with her. She sent him to school and is now an educated 20 year old. In an effort to avoid his potential involvement in gold smuggling she sends him back to Jaipur to learn the building trade. Malik is an apprentice in  the Facilities Office of the Royal Jaipur Palace where they are making a state of the art cinema. This was a fascinating story about love and family, kindness and corruption. Lackshmi is a powerful female character with a  kind soul and a good heart.

Hunting Spring Wildflowers

I met a group exploring native plants at Jay Cooke State Park today. This is blood root. If you dig it up and squeeze the root a red liquid comes out and it will stain your fingers.

We saw lots of yellow trout lily. The woods were loaded with them.

We also saw loads of white trout lily.

Besides the flowers the woods were loaded with ramps. I don't think we're allowed to forage ramps in a state park.

Another yellow trout lily.

This is wild ginger. The flower is reddish looking and down on the ground instead of up in the air like most flowers. This plant must use beetles or ants as pollinators.

Scarlet cup mushroom.

Large flowered bellwort

Marsh marigold flowers are on the verge of opening.

Hepatica.

Dwarf ginseng cannot be used for medicinal purposes like the other ginseng.

 

No One Can Pronounce My Name

 Rakesh Satyal wrote No One Can Pronounce My Name. This novel is about Indian immigrants settled near Cleveland, Ohio. Ranjana is in her mid 40's. Her son has just gone off to study chemistry at Princeton. She decides to get a job at a doctor's office to keep herself occupied. She also is in a writer's group. Harit is a more recent immigrant. He is near 40 and he lives with his mother. Both Harit and his mother are grieving the loss of Harit's older sister who died in a sudden accident. Harit works at a clothing store selling men's accessories. When Ranjana and Harit meet, their friendship and connection to each other forms a community of people. The author's tender portrayal of Harit and Ranjana along with the Indian culture makes for a very pleasant read.

 

Crossroads

 Jonathan Franzen wrote Crossroads, a novel about a family living near Chicago. The family consists of four kids and their parents. The kids are are PK's (preacher's kids) and their father is a minister at a church in Illinois. Three of the four kids are boys. The eldest is Clem who is 19 and away at college. Becky is a junior in high school. Perry is a 7th grader and Judson is in 4th grade. Russ and Marion are the parents and it is Christmas time in 1971. There is a youth group at the church called crossroads. Russ and another preacher are struggling with each other over control of the youth group making things awkward for his children. The book details what happens to each family member over the next several years and also gives us details of Russ and Marion's marriage and their upbringing. I understand this is the first of a trilogy the author plans to write. This was a long book of 592 pages but I think I will read the sequels because these PK's are interesting characters.

High Water

 Today is the first truly warm day of the year so far. I put on my shorts and went for a  hike after checking my streams. Here is a picture of the Cloquet River. I am standing on a snowmobile bridge looking upstream. Islands are  under water. The river has overflowed the banks a little and riparian trees are now feeling the current six inches above their roots. I saw a snow shoe hare dart off the path and freeze in the thick brush. Sunlight poured down on it making the hare's ears look pink and translucent. Some wood frogs and peepers were calling but the chorus frogs were the noisiest. The catkins from the aspen trees were falling on my head. I am very happy to trade my winter cap for a sun hat.

The Plot

 The Plot is a fiction novel by Jean Hanff Korelitz. The story is about a writer Jacob Finch Bonner who had success with his first published book but now is struggling. He teaches fiction writing at a third rate Masters in Fine Arts program. He gets a student who is arrogant beyond belief. The student tells Jacob about his plot and it is a great plot. Jacob expects this student will have a best seller. He is surprised when no book comes out. Years later he learns that the student died soon after taking his course. So Jacob takes the plot and writes the book which becomes an instant best seller and soon to be made into a movie. He had a story that needed to be told. I thought this was a very fine plot indeed. I enjoyed the story but I never saw the ending that was coming. It took me completely by surprise.

The Book Of Magic

 Alice Hoffman wrote The Book Of Magic as a sequel to Practical Magic. I just finished reading this rambling novel that meanders into side stories only to drop them entirely. While I like a story with strong female characters and family history, I am really not interested in magic. The story is that the people in the Owens family are cursed. If they openly declare their love, their love interest will soon die of illness or accident. Some family members are open about the curse but others aren't willing to speak of it and as a result there is much heart break. Also, when a person in the family is within 7 days of dying a death beetle comes to them and starts calling which is one of the creepiest things I ever heard.

The Harlem Shuffle

 I read Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead and I liked it so that is why I picked up his latest novel, Harlem Shuffle. This tale is about Ray Carney who lives in Harlem with his pregnant wife and daughter in the early 1960's. Ray's father was a troubled man and a criminal. Ray is trying to live his life differently. He owns a furniture store with new and used furniture for sale. Ray has a cousin, Freddie, who chooses a life of crime. Ray has decisions to make. Should he help his cousin by fencing items or try to rely strictly on the furniture business to support his family? This novel is part historical fiction, part crime and part family saga. The author has a way of making me feel I myself was walking down those streets in Harlem.

  

Where The Crawdads Sing

 Delia Owens is a zoologist and the author of Where The Crawdads Sing, a best selling novel. Set in the coastal swamps on North Carolina, this story is about Kya and starts out in 1952. Kya is the youngest of four siblings living in a shack in the marsh. Her father is an addict and he is abusive. One by one her family members move away for their own safety until only Kya and her father are left. For a while, he does better. He takes her fishing and gives her a knapsack to keep her treasures (feathers, shells, etc.) in. One day he gets a letter from Kya's mother asking him to let her take the children and raise them in New Orleans. That sets him off and he burns the letter and all of his wife's belongings and drawings. He frequently leaves Kya for a week at a time and eventually he never returns. Kya figures he died. She is about 7 years old now. Luckily he left his boat and motor. Kya figures out she can sell mussels to a local business man to earn money for gasoline and grits. The story starts out sad and bleak but Kya is strong. She studies nature intently and applies the patterns of animal or insect behavior to human behavior. I loved all the nature in this novel. Kya is a born naturalist and an artist. She knows the marsh better than anyone. I enjoyed the book and was surprised by the ending.

The Last Snow

This is one of the two piles of snow remaining in my yard. I check every day hoping they are gone. When I was in elementary school a man down the street, a Mr. Syring, used to go out in his yard every spring and shovel the remaining piles of snow out in his yard so they were evenly distributed and would melt faster. I remember wondering if he was anxious for spring to start or had extra energy he had to use up in some way. Actually I thought he was wasting his time. The older I get the closer I am to Mr. Syring's way of thinking. I am not going to spread this last bit of snow out I am anxious for spring to start.

 

Mourning Cloak

Today was sunny and warmer. I found a mourning cloak butterfly on a gravel road.

This mourning cloak looks tattered and torn. I also saw a ruby crowned kinglet and heard wood frogs in a ditch pond. I love spring.

 

The Heart's Invisible Furies

John Boyne, an Irish author, wrote The Heart's Invisible Furies. This novel is about Cyril Avery. Cyril was adopted by his parents, Charles and Maude Avery the day after his birth. Charles reminds Cyril that he is not a "real" Avery because he was adopted. Cyril doesn't know what to make of this. His parents are eccentric and emotionally distant. Maude spends all her time in her bedroom writing books and smoking cigarettes. She dies when Cyril is 14 from lung cancer. After her death her books become more and more famous making Charles quite a lot of money. Cyril is born in 1940 so the book talks about the Irish culture during those times. Later Cyril lives in Amsterdam. In the 1980's he lives in New York City and volunteers with patients at a hospital on the AIDS ward. Later he moves back to Dublin. All through his life he tries to be true to himself and kind to others and to do better than he did before. Some parts of the book were very funny. In his 20's Cyril passively becomes engaged to Mary Margaret Muffet. Mary Margaret Muffet is an extremely judgmental and controlling woman who tells Cyril exactly what to do and when to do it. Cyril manages to avoid marriage to her. Other parts are sad. This is a lengthy novel about fortune and coincidence and a view of Ireland from one ordinary man's view.

The Parade

 Dave Eggers wrote The Parade. This is a fictional novel about building a road. After years of civil war some unnamed country asks that a road be paved from the poorer southern end of the country to the capitol in the north. Even though the country is never named I pictured the country is Ukraine. Two contractors are hired to build the road. The contractors are on a timetable because the leader of the country wants to have a parade. For security reasons the two contractors are not to know each other's names. The operator of the main road construction machine is named Four. His partner, who is supposed to run ahead and make sure the road was clear to pave (no objects or people on it), is named Nine. Four has years of experience building roads and this is Nine's first job. Four figures if they can get 25 kilometers completed a day they should make their deadline. They are instructed not to interact with the locals. Four is a dedicated and by the book employee. Nine is a maverick who likes to eat local food, drink alcohol, and mix with the natives. Both Four and Nine are clearly irritated by each other.  On the surface, the entire novel is about building a road. On a deeper level, the novel is about war and about how reconstructions efforts can add to the strife.